In its largest edition to date, Smart Factory & Automation World (AW 2025), Asia’s premier manufacturing innovation show, will encompass the whole site at COEX from Wednesday, March 12, to Friday, March 14.
With the theme “Automation to Autonomy,” this year’s event, which is co-hosted by COEX, the Korea Industrial Intelligence Association, the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Promotion Group, the Korea Machine Vision Industry Association, Advanced Media, and the Korea International Trade Association, has 2,200 booths, 500 companies, and participants from 22 countries.
Leaders in domestic and international manufacturing have convened to present advanced automation and smart factory technologies, such as digital twins, sensors, machine vision, collaborative robots, industrial and logistics robots, and AI-powered manufacturing solutions.
In Asia, Hyundai Glovis has introduced Boston Dynamics’ logistics robot, “Stretch.” Stretch, which is made for precise and fast de-palletizing, improves logistics and warehouse operations by managing containerized freight effectively. Additionally, Hyundai Glovis unveiled its brand-new smart logistics facility, which is presently being built at Incheon Airport.
Hyundai AutoEver, a division of the Hyundai Motor Group, was another first-time exhibitor. They showcased their “NEO Factory” solution, which is an SDF (Software-Defined Factory) system that facilitates autonomous manufacturing. Advanced automation technologies are integrated into the NEO Factory system to maximize capital efficiency and production capacity.
In honor of its 50th anniversary, Schneider Electric (France) is holding an exhibition in Korea with the theme “50 Years of Innovation: A Sustainable IMPACT for Smart Factory.” With a strong emphasis on sustainability and digital transformation, the company is displaying robotics breakthroughs and machine automation solutions that improve human-machine collaboration and develop Industry 5.0 smart production settings.
Leading international logistics firms such as AutoStore (Norway), Libiao Robotics (China), Techman Robot (Taiwan), and CMES (Korea) are represented at the Smart Logistics Pavilion.
These businesses are exhibiting logistics robots, AI-powered logistics automation systems, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Furthermore, prominent collaborative robot manufacturers are showcasing the newest developments in automation technology, including HD Hyundai Robotics, Korea’s top industrial robot manufacturer, and Universal Robots, the top cobot company in the world.
During the exhibition, more than 200 expert-led conferences are taking place, including the “2025 Industrial Intelligence Conference” and the “AI Autonomous Manufacturing Innovation Forum.” These sessions provide a platform to discuss trends in manufacturing innovation and autonomous production.
For the first time, the “AW Open Innovation Round” is being held, selecting the top six innovative manufacturing startups and connecting them with large and mid-sized enterprises for business collaborations and investment opportunities.
To support global business expansion, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) is hosting 1:1 export consultation meetings between 23 international buyers from 9 countries, including Indonesia’s largest telecom company, Telkomsel, and 100 Korean companies.
This year’s Smart Factory & Automation World is expected to set a new attendance record, with over 60,000 pre-registered attendees and a total of approximately 80,000 visitors. More than 1,000 international buyers from Germany, Japan, China, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam are visiting Korea, solidifying AW 2025’s status as Asia’s leading industrial exhibition.
